Inside an old, abandoned factory, ten young men stood facing a single person, a tall young man with short, dark hair and sharp brown eyes. He appeared to be around twenty years old, had a well-built physique, and showed no sign of fear.
One of the delinquents sneered. "Bastard, now you're gonna get your ass beat."
A tanned guy with blonde hair and a muscular build stepped forward, his lips curling into a cold smile.
"Lucas, you really thought you were some kind of boss, huh? Going against us like that?"
Lucas, the dark-haired man, stood in the center, surrounded by the others.
He grinned.
"Asher, you think I'd obey you like a dog? You couldn't even take me down with two or three guys, so now you've brought the whole damn crew?"
Asher's smile vanished. He growled and lunged at Lucas. The others followed.
The factory erupted into chaos.
Punches were thrown, dodged, and blocked. There was no technique or discipline, just raw, chaotic fighting between young men.
Lucas fought hard, but it was one against ten. Blood ran from his nose and mouth, while bruises began to swell across his face and arms.
Still, he grinned like a maniac, refusing to back down.
As Asher raised his fist for another blow, a hand suddenly grabbed it midair.
A brown-haired boy appeared beside him, wearing a smirk.
"Damn, sorry I'm late. Looks like your ass really did get kicked."
He drove a fist into Asher's gut, sending him stumbling backward.
Then, from the factory entrance, another voice shouted,
"Yo, Luca~! I've come to party!"
A third guy charged in and jumped straight into the fight.
Lucas shouted, "Damn, you guys are late! Mark, you bastard! I've been fighting these fuckers alone!"
Mark, the brown-haired boy, laughed.
"Not my fault. Blame Jurius!"
"I heard that!" Jurius, the third boy, grunted as he exchanged punches with four opponents. "Just shut up and fight!"
With the arrival of Lucas's two friends, Mark and Jurius, the brawl intensified.
It was now three against ten.
Still, they fought like madmen, refusing to step back.
But numbers didn't lie.
After a long, brutal battle, all three friends lay on the cold concrete floor, their faces swollen, bruised, and bloody.
Asher stood over them, panting. His own face was bruised, but he had emerged victorious.
"This is what happens when you go against us," he sneered.
The other exhausted delinquents laughed as they left the factory, limping and dragging their feet.
Only Lucas, Mark, and Jurius remained, groaning in pain.
Lucas slowly sat up.
"Get up, you idiots. You've shamed me today, getting beaten like that..."
Mark mocked him in return.
"If we hadn't come, your ass would be in a hospital."
Jurius remained quiet for a moment before muttering,
"Let's go. I still have an assignment to finish."
Both Lucas and Mark widened their eyes.
"FUCK! THE ASSIGNMENT!"
"SHIT! TOMORROW'S THE DEADLINE!"
Bruised and aching, all three groaned and slowly limped out of the factory.
Mark and Jurius were Lucas's best friends. They were always ready to stand beside him whenever he got into trouble or went against anyone.
As they walked together, chatting despite their pain, Lucas finally muttered,
"Well... my turn's here. See you guys tomorrow."
They waved goodbye.
Lucas turned onto a quiet, empty road that led to his apartment.
Only a few people were out at this hour. The street was nearly silent.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
Mom.
A smile appeared on his face as he picked up the call.
"Hey, Mom."
"Lucas! It's been a while. How are you? Is everything okay? You don't even call me or your dad anymore..."
Her voice was warm and caring.
"Sorry, Mom. I've been busy with studying and my part-time job. I'm fine, really."
He lied, trying to hide the pain as he wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve.
His entire body ached. Studying in another city, living alone, and constantly getting bullied had taken a toll on him. Deep down, he really missed home.
"Come home during your vacation," his mother said gently. "We miss you. Your little sister has been asking about you nonstop."
"Yeah, Mom. I miss you too. I'll definitely come back... and I'll bring gifts for Lara. She'll love them."
He spoke with a soft smile as he continued walking, completely unaware of the man following him.
Behind him, a hooded figure had been tailing him for quite some time.
Suddenly, the man quickened his pace, raised a steel rod, and—
CRACK!
"AGHHH!"
Lucas screamed as a sharp wave of pain exploded through his head.
His phone slipped from his hand and clattered onto the ground.
His mother's panicked voice came through the speaker.
"Lucas?! Lucas, what happened?!"
Lucas collapsed onto the road, groaning in pain as blood ran down his head.
The hooded man stared down at him with a crazed expression and a manic smile.
Lucas recognized him.
Rony.
A second-year civil engineering student. One of the guys who had always tried to boss him around at college.
Lucas had humiliated him once in front of everyone. Rumors had spread that Rony's girlfriend had dumped him afterward, and even his own friends had started mocking him.
And now, he was standing here with murder in his eyes.
"What the hell are you doing, Rony?!" Lucas gasped, struggling to speak.
Rony grinned madly.
"She left me because of you! Because of you, my life turned to shit! You ruined me, you bastard! My girlfriend started dating another man, and my friends started mocking and bullying me too! All because of you!"
He attacked Lucas repeatedly with the rod.
Lucas's vision blurred. Pain surged through his body. He tried to lift his hand, but he could barely move.
Rony had completely lost control of himself. His mental state had been deteriorating for some time, and many people knew about it. But never, not even in his worst nightmares, had Lucas imagined that this man would actually try to kill him.
His eyes slowly began to close.
Beside him, his phone lay on the ground. His mother's desperate voice continued to echo from the speaker.
"Lucas! Answer me, please! What's happening?!"
As darkness slowly consumed his vision, Lucas's thoughts drifted toward his family. His mom, his dad, his little sister, Lara.
There was still so much he wanted to do. So much he hadn't said. So many things he had yet to experience.
He just wanted to see them again.
His life wasn't bad. In fact, he had a loving family and understanding parents. They weren't rich, but they weren't poor either. They had always provided him with everything he needed.
He had been looking forward to spending a wonderful vacation with his family. He wanted to go home, meet his parents, spend time with Lara, and enjoy the simple happiness of being together again.
But he couldn't. His consciousness slowly faded.
And then Lucas took his final breath.